


Protection

by zenonaa



Series: LGBT Pride Month [11]
Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M, lgbt pride month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 14:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19231024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenonaa/pseuds/zenonaa
Summary: '“I spent all my life letting people do what they wanted to me, spitting on me, hitting me... y’know, I changed my appearance to fit in, maybe become like the bullies who had power over me, but I could never be like that. And when I saw you ganged up on like that, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t do anything,” said Kazuichi quietly. “I couldn’t let you get hurt with a clear conscious.”Then he paused and cringed. Kazuichi must have sounded like a jerk, admitting to considering becoming a bully. And changing his appearance like that... someone like Gundam, who was unapologetically himself, must have thought poorly of Kazuichi.'Souda sees some reserve course students ganging up on Gundam.





	Protection

Kazuichi’s feet pounded against the pavement as he sprinted. He had spent all day in his room, fiddling and improving his alarm clock, only to make a fatal, totally preventable flaw that meant he didn’t wake up on time from his nap.

After all that hard work, he had forgotten to plug it in.

Twenty minutes late... it was almost worth pretending to be sick and not attend the evening class at all, but the disappointed face of a certain individual burned into the forefront of his mind, spurring him on. No, not his teacher. Sonia, of course, who announced she would be attending the life drawing lesson. Kazuichi could imagine how her aqua eyes would avert, her arm cupping her chin as her lips slumped in a delicate curve, when he came in late.

And so, with that image of her, as clear and unmoving as a graphic in a video game, he blasted through the school grounds, not caring about the risk of dislocating his legs from the effort.

Though his mind focused on his destination, his body struggled to maintain his speed and it started to crumble. He managed to reach the fountain in the central plaza before he stumbled, but he didn’t fall over, slamming his hand down on the stone rim bordering the cool, trembling water. His legs buckled and he doubled over, panting, shoulders tense.

When he told Sonia that he would be attending too, she had uttered ‘oh’ and smiled before excusing herself. Probably so she could spend the next seven hours preparing. That had to be the reason. Kazuichi gulped and splashed some water against his face.

“Oi!” someone shouted.

A chill shot up Kazuichi and he whirled around. The person who called out hadn’t been talking to him. Part of a group of a dozen people or so, all wearing the uniform for the reserve course, the individual’s attention was on someone who Kazuichi did recognise.

He screwed up this eyes.

“... Tanaka?” he said to himself.

Gundam stood out from the people surrounding him. While they wore monochrome suits, Gundam wore a large purple scarf over his brown uniform, and he had white streaks in his hair, golden earrings and four hamsters, three clinging to his scarf and one cowering on his head.

The students smirked at Gundam, who positioned an arm in front of himself protectively. A lamp post beamed down on the scene like a spotlight. Kazuichi didn’t understand why the reserve course students were here. They had their own section of the school.

One of them beat something against their palm. A baseball bat. Now Kazuichi knew why they were there.

His first instinct was to flee, but his legs wouldn’t budge. He stood, frozen, staring as the students closed in on Gundam.

But Gundam could hold his own, right?

Two of them grabbed his arms. Another raised a baseball bat. Gundam widened his eyes, squirming, but couldn’t break free. He was trapped. Defenceless.

Adrenaline exploded through Kazuichi. It filled his mind, pushing out all thoughts, so as if on autopilot, he rushed over.

“Leave him alone, you bastards!” Kazuichi snarled, waving a fist. “Or I’ll... I’ll kill you all!”

The students turned to him. Within moments, Kazuichi reached them, and he smacked the knife out of the hand of the student wielding it. With a clatter, it struck the ground, but none of the students paid it attention. Instead, they gawked at Kazuichi.

“T-That must be the Super High School Level Murderer!” one shrieked, eyes bulging. “I knew he was real!”

They scattered, running for their lives. The adrenaline that consumed Kazuichi sizzled out and now able to think, Kazuichi heaved and fell to his knees. All he could taste was a sour slime.

He had actually done that. For real.

“... you. The Cowardly One,” said Gundam, somewhere nearby. “Though... that is not an appropriate name for you.”

Kazuichi couldn’t answer. He could barely even see. His vision had blanched almost entirely white.

“You are the one who saved me,” said Gundam, and he hesitated. “But... why?”

“I...” Kazuichi tried to respond, and almost threw up. Gundam didn’t rush him, standing over Kazuichi’s shaking form.

Gradually, the ground felt more solid beneath Kazuichi’s palms.

“You’re bleeding,” said Gundam.

His words sank in and Kazuichi brought his hand in front of him. Red. Red there. He must have cut himself on that guy’s knife by accident. Gundam dropped to one knee in front of Kazuichi and regarded him with stern features.

“I apologise if I seem ungrateful. It’s just... I thought you hated me,” explained Gundam. “Yet, you put yourself in danger to try to save me from the assault.”

Kazuichi breathed.

“Why were they attacking you anyway?” he asked Gundam.

“On a previous occasion, I saved a stray cat that they had been terrifying, and earlier today, they tried to provoke me but I did not react like they wanted,” said Gundam. “So they sought me out just now, as you have witnessed, while I was on my way back from the stables.”

“What the hell?” went Kazuichi, wide-eyed. Gundam was way too calm about this. That encouraged Kazuichi to be angrier on his behalf. “What sort of lowlife torments cats?”

“Exactly. I could not abide by it,” said Gundam. He glanced down, then made eye contact again. “You are avoiding my question though.”

Kazuichi placed his uncut hand against the side of his head. “What was it...?”

“Why did you save me if you hate me?” asked Gundam.

“I don’t hate you!” Kazuichi corrected. He looked away. “You’re a complete weirdo and I don’t trust you around Sonia-san, what with your occult stuff and good looks, but I don’t want you beaten up. ‘Sides, she’d have been upset if you got maimed.”

His teeth gritted together.

“I spent all my life letting people do what they wanted to me, spitting on me, hitting me... y’know, I changed my appearance to fit in, maybe become like the bullies who had power over me, but I could never be like that. And when I saw you ganged up on like that, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t do anything,” said Kazuichi quietly. “I couldn’t let you get hurt with a clear conscious.”

Then he paused and cringed. Kazuichi must have sounded like a jerk, admitting to considering becoming a bully. And changing his appearance like that... someone like Gundam, who was unapologetically himself, must have thought poorly of Kazuichi.

A sudden pang in his hand made him hiss.

“At least, I think so,” said Kazuichi vaguely. “Thinking feels weird. You know, if Sonia-san wasn’t here, you wouldn’t be half-bad. You’re... actually kinda cool. Weird, but cool.”

Gundam took this all in silently, and just as silently, he took Kazuichi’s bleeding hand in his own. He raised it then pressed his lips against the wound.

Kazuichi twitched, nearly whacking the underside of Gundam’s chin in his surprise. “H-Hey, what are you doing?”

“Absorbing the poison from your blood that those cretins shed,” said Gundam plainly, and Kazuichi felt his face burn.

“What the hell? Yeah right!” Kazuichi scoffed. “If you wanted to kiss me, you could just ask, you dumbass!”

“So can I kiss you?”

Of all the things that Gundam said, he said that.

And all the things that Kazuichi could have replied with, he said, “Sure,” and blushed as Gundam kissed the back of his hand again.


End file.
